The Lions Clubs International, District 404B1, Nigeria, has called on stakeholders in the health sector to create more awareness of childhood cancer.
The district governor, 404B1 2022-2023, Kema Ashibuogwu, during a new year party and Melvin Jones dinner and awards, explained that the club decided to pick childhood cancer as its project having realised that most Nigerians did not know childhood cancer existed.
At the dinner, titled, ‘fundraising for children living with cancer,’ Ashibuogwu, said, “Nobody paid attention to childhood cancer. I needed something different as my course in the club, so when I spoke with some of my friends they said childhood cancer do not exist, that was how I discovered that the awareness of childhood cancer is low and I decided to pick it. A lot of people need to know children can have cancer and we decided to create awareness of it.”
She explained that the club would raise more funds for the treatment and diagnoses of childhood cancer, adding that parents should avoid self-medication.
“We gave N2m to children living with cancer in 2022. Many parents don’t have the money when their children are diagnosed, they dump the children and run away or go to the pharmaceutical shop for self-medication, and he or she gives up.”
Also speaking, the second, vice district governor, Mr Samson Abodunrin, said, ”Nigerians should embrace information, stop treating undiagnosed treatment through the traditional method, and take children to the hospital whenever they are ill.
“In Lions Club, we believe that when you educate the people, the problem is almost half solved. We believe the cost of treating cancer is on the high side, we decided to pull resources together to assist those with the challenges.
“We decided to tackle the problem early in children in which the cancer survival rate is very high. ”
During the award presentation, 11 Melvin Jones, 11 club members, 13 region members, 20 members who had contributed immensely to the growth of Lions Club were given awards.
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